Subject:

- Overview of purposes for and topics of call
- Conference call protocol
- Next iteration of FACA Charter
- Development of future RIEC/IAC organizational
   support structure
- REO Director transition

Opp. for Q&As

- Overview of Work Group's analysis & Exec Oversight Team's   input
- Work Group Options & projected implications,    including I/A costs
- Opportunity to ask Clarifying Questions

- Confirming Key Purposes & Desired Outcomes of Exec    Session
- Announcement of & Transition to next REO Director
- Round Robin on latest information from national offices
- Future Organizational Support Structure  Recommendations
- Next Steps

- Clarification of past discussions in light of morning's  deliberations

- Ownership and management strategies
- Recommendations from National Archives and Records Admin.
- Streamlining/enhancing the process

- NWFP-related Litigation
- PCFFA Settlement Negotiations
- Science Findings Follow-up

Chair: Mike Crouse
Agencies on Subcommittee: NMFS, FWS, USFS, & BLM

• Charter signing progress
• Work Group Progress
• ACS SEIS Team Update

Agencies on Subcommittee: BLM, USFS, FWS, & PNW
• Dick Prather, SEIS Team Leader, will provide progress report on SEIS, including updates on schedule, effects analysis, & range of alternatives

At the January 2003 RIEC meeting, the committee accomplished the following:

- reaffirmed the key elements and common understandings emerging from its discussion in December (as set forth in the January meeting's prework materials);

- agreed to put forward a recommendation that the Interagency Steering Committee hold a meeting in May or June 2003 to review the RIEC's recommended future organizational support model and to receive briefings on progress being made in implementing NWFP improvements;

- directed that opportunities be made available for interested IAC members to stay abreast of developments in this area and become involved in the decision-making process as appropriate;

- reached a tentative decision on the general process for filling in behind the present REO Director upon his departure in late February or early March; and

- received a briefing from the Futures Work Group in response to which it provided positive feedback generally and more particularized direction for further work to support reaching a recommendation on a future organizational support model at the February 2003 RIEC meeting;

- a draft time line and decision matrix;
- RIEC direction to the work group;
- tasks and organizations options, and pros and cons;
- starting points for revising the interagency memorandum of understanding for Northwest Forest Management; and
- a GIS Work Group status report.

In addition, pursuant to direction from the RIEC, the IAC will be provided a progress report on this topic at a conference call scheduled to be held just prior to the February RIEC meeting.

Following the work group's presentation, the RIEC will move into an Executive Session geared toward having the committee reach agreement on a recommendation for the future interagency organizational structure that can be used to form the basis of a proposed NWFP MOU III. An opportunity will be provided at the outset of the Executive Session to discuss the most recent input and information RIEC members have received from their national offices on this topic and to assess whether the pre-existing goal should be retained or modified for the day's session. The Futures Work Group will be asked to stand by during the Executive Session so that they can join portions of the executives' discussion as determined to be appropriate by the RIEC.

(1) Development of briefing materials and time line to support headquarters discussions concerning structure and changes (e.g., with respect to retention of ISC);

(2) Definition of starting point(s) and processes needed to develop NWFP MOU III; and

(3) Evaluation of impacts of potential changes to the scope of RIEC's operations.

It should be noted that the REO and Futures Work Group have focused their energies on developing an array of options and analytical tools to aid in the RIEC's deliberations on this topic and have not, consistent with direction from the Executive Oversight Team, sought to develop a single proposed decision for presentation to the RIEC at its February meeting.

Process changes: Initial custodial responsibility determinations be made by the REO records management staff in consultation with the records management staff from the affected agencies. Written recommendations for approval and adoption, as well as a record of the considerations used, would be included in those recommendations.

Opportunity to Streamline/Recommendation: Delegate the final custodial responsibility determination to the REO Executive Director, with the potential to elevate issues to the RIEC if needed.

Issue 2. Clarify records management guidelines

Process change: Adopt the General Records Schedules (GRS) for determining the retention period for temporary administrative records. Wherever possible, use the appropriate GRS based on the ownership of the records (if the records are BLM, use the BLM GRS; if FS, use the FS GRS, etc.).

Recommendation: Approve the use of the existing generic GRS with the caveat that if this guide was inadequate, that the next primary references would be the BLM and FS GRS guidelines.

Issue 3. Provide a process to protect records on a long term basis

Process change: This process change provides a method for providing long-term protection of the records in an appropriate records storage facility. This would involve establishing procedures through the participating agencies to send records to and retrieve records from the National Records Center. In most cases, involve the FS and BLM, but could potentially include other RIEC agencies as well.

Recommendation: Provide central management/coordination of the records to facilitate easy retrieval; provide adequate documentation/training to decentralize this function to the agencies sometime in the future.

Issue 4. Provide process for protecting the original 1993 conference records

Process change: The current records are inappropriately stored in a warehouse and are not easily accessible (or even well indexed). We are concerned about maintaining theses records in an uncontrolled environment.

Recommendation: Work with NARA and the Forest Service staff to appraise the records and determine which of the records should be retained on a permanent basis. Permanent records then could be transferred to NARA's archival facility where it would be protected. Non-permanent records could be managed as described under issue 3 above.

RIEC Regular Business meetings that all RIEC members are invited to attend. At the October 2002 RIEC meeting, there was discussion about a "RIEC Core" that would serve as a quorum to address fast-moving implementation issues. There has been some confusion about whether some RIEC meetings are reserved for the Core Group or are open to all RIEC agency members.

Executive-Only Sessions that all RIEC members or their designated alternate (sans staff support) are invited to attend.

Northwest Natural Resources Forum (NWNRF) meetings, which was envisioned as forum to discuss issues beyond the scope of the NWFP and could include agencies outside of the RIEC. The first NWNRF is scheduled for March 11, 2003. The vision for how this forum will operate is still quite fuzzy, and time grows short for planning the agenda and implementing the meeting.

Among the key findings emphasized in this report are that investments in soft infrastructure can leverage far more than good working relationships, and that the importance of soft infrastructure investment vastly exceeded the three percent it made up of the $1.2 billion in total investments in the region. The study also found that 85 percent of the money was not new funding, but renamed funds that would have gone to the region regardless, and that the network of agencies managing the funds did not have adequate experience or ability to help out-of-work loggers find jobs.

The report concludes with 14 lessons learned and policy recommendations. These lessons may have applicability today for the President's fire planning, improved government coordination, and community development in the Northwest and elsewhere. The economic side of the Northwest Forest Plan has long been a focal point for many Federal and non-Federal IAC members, and this report may provide an avenue for further discussion. If interest exists, the IAC member who initially brought this report to the attention of the committee has offered to assist the REO in coordinating with the authors of this report to arrange for a presentation before the IAC.